It has long been recognized in the arts of medicine and pharmacy that vitamin C active agent is essential for good health. A vitamin C active agent is essential for the normal regulation of inter-cellular collagen, for the regulation of colloidal conditions of inter-cellular substances including the fibrils of connective tissues, and for healing bone fractures. A vitamin C active substance also is indicated as functioning in the metabolism of tyrosine, and it facilitates the absorption of iron. A deficiency of a vitamin C active agent results in a clinical breakdown of tissue structure, inter-cellular collagen substances, capillary defects, and the eventual development of scurvy. Scurvy has been known since the Middle Ages and it was found widespread in Northern Europe among the crews of sailing ships.
The daily intake of a vitamin C active agent is an absolute necessity for animals requiring exogenous vitamin C active substance. Usually some of the needed vitamin C active agent can be provided in the dietary intake. There are, however, instances where all of the vitamin C active agent must be provided from a non-dietary source, and there are numerous instances where additional or supplemental vitamin C active agent must be provided for satisfying the daily requirements, or for satisfying the increased requirements associated with clinical conditions. For example, vitamin C active agent requirements are increased during pregnancy and lactating periods, following trauma, during infections, for wound healing, for shortening the illness period, and for alleviating the symptoms associated with the common cold.
It has long been recognized also in the arts of medicine and pharmacy that calcium is the most abundant cation in the animal body. In the body, calcium serves as the principal component of skeletal tissues. The calcium ion influences blood coagulation, neuromuscular excitability, cellular adhesiveness, nerve impulse transmission, maintenance and function of cell membranes, activation of enzyme reactions, and hormone secretion.
The daily intake of calcium is necessary to replace calcium in the skeleton. The skeleton functions in many instants as a reservoir of calcium and it is in a dynamic equilibrium with circulating calcium. The calcium moiety in the blood is a physiologically important factor for regulating membrane transport enzyme activity and hormonal secretion. Daily calcium intake is necessary for the vital functions of the animal body. Additionally, calcium requirements are increased during periods of active skeletal growth and pregnancy. Also, calcium ingestation in larger amounts is indicated in ulcer patients.
It will be appreciated, in the light of the above presentation, by those versed in the arts to which this invention pertains, that a critical need exists for a delivery device for delivering a vitamin C active agent and calcium, such as calcium ascorbate, to a host in need of same. The need exists for a controlled release delivery device that can deliver calcium ascorbate for satisfying part of the daily requirement, for satisfying all of the daily requirement, or for supplementing the requirement associated with an increased demand for vitamin C and calcium as satisfied by the administration of calcium ascorbate. The need exists for a delivery device that can deliver, at a controlled rate, calcium ascorbate as the primary exogenous source of vitamin C and calcium over a prolonged period of time.